Friday, October 24, 2008

Move over Wiggles, you might have the stage, but we've got the kitchen! That's right, I refilled the ketchup bottle with homemade, non-sugary, ketchup (which I snuck some extra pureed veggies into) and the kids never saw it coming. In fact, they were downright annoyed when we ran out! I got quite the telling off from Jayden over my inability to make ketchup at 8am.

You see, Jayden, who once hated anything to do with tomatoes, has decided that anything and everything to do with tomatoes is now top-notch. He's joined Morgan in eating tomatoes like apples. In fact they tend to beg them off their relatives and I've yet to have a pound of tomatoes last me longer then a week.

However, I was pretty annoyed that even Wiggles ketchup had oodles of sugar in it. I mean, this is the band who came out with kids products but didn't want to hit the sweets market. Didn't they say something about there was enough junk food out there for kids all ready, and they wanted to encourage good eating habits? Okay, so maybe most kids don't sit around and think up what they can have for breakfast, lunch, and dinner just so they can have a squirt of ketchup, but I know a certain 5 year old who does. In fact, when he was informed we had no hamburgers on hand today he was all for eating the ketchup as it was. Personally, I don't get the ketchup phase. I know, I'm American I'm suppose to LOVE ketchup, but honestly I never use to panic when I ran out. Now I only panic for fear Jayden will realize and suggest I stay up late to be sure there's some on hand!

I mix it all up and dump it in a pan on the stove top and simmer away until the mixture is reduced by half. The problem is it splatters all over the stove, so I think next time I'll make it in the crockpot with the lid vented a pinch. This time I kept, don't laugh, my small metal sieve/strainer over the pot. It let the steam out, but kept most of the splatter inside.

Notes:

I mix my mashed up garlic with my carrot puree in my rocket blender and it comes out super fine in texture. That way it all fits through the holes on the ketchup bottle. Learn from my mistakes.. first time around we had a few garlic bits clog the bottle up!

It takes about 4-6 carrots (depending on size) to make the required amount of carrot puree. Yes, the kids know it's in there, and no they don't care. They truly only care that I'll have something for them to put it on.. Seriously.

If you like spicier ketchup you can add a 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder. My kids don't like spice, especially Jayden (as in hot spice) so I don't put it in.

The recipe above filled that ketchup bottle and left me with another half-cup of ketchup. I've no idea how long it will "last" for, because we seem to go through it pretty quickly. However, I'd venture to say that the vinegar will preserve it for a rather reasonable length of time.

Enjoy.

Ps.. we're still highly addicted to the Wiggles, note the ketchup container I refilled for the kids.. not to mention the gift bag they picked out for the Aunty's birthday present..